The Road Less Traveled
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: Pein has taken something precious from him. His love. Now, Naruto's seal is weakening,& the Kyuubi will be free soon... There is not much time. What will he do with what little time he has left? He will stand tall! He will FIGHT! Narutoxharem
1. Reminisce

Lightning crashed through the skies overhead, thunder rumbled through the trees.

She ran, faster than she ever had before, her Akatsuki robe in tatters, burnt, scorched and singed from the last attack.

Pein had assured the new recruit that this would be a light mission, one easy to handle with her skills, and with senior member Kina accompanying her, she would be fine.

It was a simple scouting mission, for the more experienced members, he said, nothing dangerous...

He had _neglected_ to mention the nine tailed fox vessel currently resided here!

The elder Akatsuki was now dead, and she was left to fend for herself.

A deep growl rose from the forest around her.

Whimper, she began hastening her footfalls, into rapid runs, fleeing for her very life, panting heavily, as this _thing _had been pursuing her, for what felt like an eternity.

She stumbled over a tree branch, then fell into the mud, face first, scramlbing up, then looking down into a puddle.

A terrified visage stared up at her, as the flower was knocked out of her hair, letting the semi-long locks of navy blue hair fall to her shoulders.

Cussing rapidly, she threw away the useless, rain soaked cloak, exposing herself in a simple blue jumpsuit, that bore a scratched over her flat stomach, a trio of bleeding claw mark gashes. **(Think Padme's attire from Attack of the Clones Arena battle)**

Trees crashed to the ground behind her, each with a mighty crash.

She had to get out of here!

She had to get away, back to the base, back to Pein-

Anywhere but here!

**"KYAH!"**

The ground veritably _exploded _with red power, as a dark figure slammed down into the swampy floor before her.

His stolen Anbu attire was worn and tattered, armor shattered from fighting, and growing over time.

He glared at her, red slitted pupils betraying keen intelligence, despite his savage appearance, which was still human, skin and all, but...

Seven tails of red chakra swayed behind his form.

If he was to attack now, in her current state she would be dead in less than a minute.

Yet he seemed _stunned _to see her, at the very least.

**"Konan-chan, is...that you?"**

How did this monster know her name?!

A clawed hand reached up to the wooden mask he wore, that which hid his face.

And exposed a visage that made her gasp.

"Na-Naruto?!"

His eyes were sad now, as if he believed himself to be seeing things.

**"Are you _really_ Konan?"**

She held up a hand, exposing a mark there, a simply kanji that represented a flower.

"Yes...

His eyes went wide, both with shock and joy, at seeing a friendly face

**"It is you!"**

She had best tread lightly.

But...

If Naruto was the nine tailed jinchuuriki, something she had somehow not known, despite the fact that she had trained with him for those three years...

Then the last thing she wanted to do was provoke him.

Still, she let out a small "Eep!" As he suddenly grabbed her in a hug, making her flush a deep red, returning to normal as he did so, releasing her seconds later.

He had certainly changed since she had met him on his three year training trip!

"What the hell are you going here?! I almost shiscabbobed you!"

Silently, she thanked herself for getting rid of the Akatsuki robe.

"I...got lost?" She ventured.

Luckily, the still naive blond took the bait.

"Well you shouldn't be here! This swamp is crawling with Akatsuki!"

He looked rapidly about, as if they were being watched.

"If they see you with me, then they might come after you too!"

She bit back a protest, choosing to ask a question instead.

"Where is Jiraiya-sama?"

Wrong question. In her haste, she had forgotten that Pein had killed the sannin already.

His face fell, as if the weight of the world came crashing down upon him in that moment, drooping his head low.

"Ero-sennin's...

He looked up sadly, bright blue eyes _swimming _with sapphire tears.

"He's dead. Akatsuki killed him last year."

Mentally berating herself for the loss of level-headedness, she composed herself once more, adopting a sincere sorrowed look.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Naruto."

He shook his head, managing a shaky smile.

"Nah, it's-it's okay, he died doing what he loved."

"Researching?" She quipped, and at this he laughed, nearly busting a gut, drawing a genuine giggle from her as well.

Finally, he stopped his spasms of mirth.

"No, he died in battle, but man, getting caught peeping would've been one hell of a way to go, huh?"

Laughter dying away she nodded.

"Do you know where you are headed Naruto?"

He scratched the back of his head.

"Erm...no?"

It was just like old times, as the 'angel' slapped herself upside the head.

"You suck at taking directions, do you know that?"

"Hey!"

She grabbed his wrist.

"This way. We're close to Amegakure's inn...

(End Flasback)

She remembered the look of stunned surprise, when Pein and several other Akatsuki members had shown up on the doorstep of the inn the next morning.

It had honestly been her intent to get him as far away from here as possible, but one drink had led to another...

And now here they were, in bed with the other, or rather, he was, as she had gotten up to get the door, a sheet wrapped around her nude form.

Kisame had blushed and looked away, but Pein had taken it all in stride, tpssing her an Akatsuki robe, as if the matter of her sleeping with a demon meant nothing to him.

Hurriedly, she caught it, but somehow felt revulsion at the thought of donning it.

Pein's hand on her bare shoulder, suddenly felt like ice, as his cold, unfeeling eyes bored into her.

Yet he was nonchalant, as if this was to be expected.

"Good work Konan. I'm glad to see you made good use of those spiked drinks. Now he should be easy to capture."

The paper master found herself nodding, but on the inside some small part of her soul was screaming at , calling her all sorts of names for the foul trap she had snared her friend in.

"I'll go get him."

xxx

She arrived in the bedroom, to find Naruto, fully clothed.

And glaring daggers at her.

"You betrayed me."

Clutching the sheets about herself, she, she shook her head, as he stalked towards here.

"No! I did nothing of the sort!"

"Then why is Pein at the door?"

She paled, before waving her hands hastily, the sheets now tied around her back in a loose knot.

"He spiked the drinks! You have to understand-Ah!"

She let out a small cry, as he seized her by the throat, and pinned her to the wall, with barely a sound.

"Oh! So last night was just a 'game' to you?!" He snarled, getting angrier by the second, pupils becoming slits, whilst his eyes changed to red

Women, they were all the same!

How could he fall for something like this?! Hadn't he learned his lesson with Sakura?!

"Naruto-kun! You have to understand, I would never betray you-

"Liar!" He suddenly roared, and rapid footfalls sounded behind them.

The door was bashed in seconds later.

Gasping, she looked to the hall, and saw the shadows that was the Akatsuki coming.

His hate faltered, when her lips, soft and supple suddenly pressed against his, changing everything he knew, in but a moment, as she slammed _him _against the wall, her lithe body pressed hard against him.

Then she shoved him to the window, as he was suddenly too dazed to move.

Hastily, she drew some cuts on herself, to make it appear as if there was a struggle.

"Now go! You have to get out of here before they catch you!"

Fireworks exploded in her head, as he gave her the mother of all kises, pulling away to whisper a silent, "Bye."

The shattering of glass sounded, and he was gone.


	2. Vow

(End Flashback)

Naruto wiped away a tear from his eyes

Ever since that day, Pein had kept his eye on her.

They had never seen each other again, but instead, had been forced to do battle at one point, less than a year later.

Poor Konan, she didn't have a choice.

Pein was right _there _and she knew if she refused, then he would not hesitate to kill her.

Yet if she fought, she would break his heart.

But he would live to fight another day, if she had made her loss look good...

She had chosen the lesser of two evils.

Alas, this had not been taken well by our favorite blond.

The sight of her in the Akatsuki robes, her refusal to speak to him in combat...

It caused something to snap in him.

Something got _loose_.

She had truly lost, beyond all doubt, when he had used five tails of the Kyuubi, nearly beating her to a bloody pulp in his rage, when she was forced to deny even meeting him.

If Pein had not interfered, she would have died, of that she had been certain.

If he had not in turn been driven him off, then in turn been repelled, when the Raikage, and the Tsuchikage had suddenly appeared to combat him, along with a host of their finest ninja, then _he _would have died.

He could not see her now, he could not touch her.

She was lost to him.

He placed the flowers on her gravestone, then crystallized it with some of the kyuubi's chakra, so that none could touch her, neither human hands, nor the ravages of time.

She looked so peaceful, almost as if she were sleeping, and would wake from her crystal tomb at any moment.

A ragged sigh escaped him.

"Konan...

A hand idly touched at the scratched leaf headband he wore round his arm, a constant reminder of what he had done, both to himself and his village.

The seal was weakening, he could feel it every time he used the Kyuubi's chakra, although in Konan's case, solidifying her tomb was worth it.

Be that as it may, he knew, sooner or later, its full power would be released into his body, even if he stopped using the Kitsune's chakra altogether. He could only pray that he would be strong enough to handle that much demonic chakra once it was released.

He was losing control.

He had to hurry.

There was no if, only when.

The kyuubi's power would be released, and he would have to do his best to keep the fox itself from getting out in the process.

He had seen what the power of a jinchuuriki could do, after his battle with Gaara, who although only capable of one tail, wreaked havoc amongst the village-

An idea suddenly struck him.

According to his spy network, Akatsuki had only moved to take _one _of the Bijuu.

There were still eight left, including himself.

Pein had taken Konan from him.

His eyes glimmered a faint red, as his pupils changed to narrowed slits.

Therefore, he would deny Pein his goal.

He would find his demon brethren, he would gather them together...

His hands clenched into fists, squeezing so hard that he drew blood, before he had managed to suppress the dark chakra.

"I will crush Akatsuki."


	3. The First of Many!

**For whomsoever is wondering about Zakuro, she's from Tokyo Mew Mew. I figured she'd fit the seven tailed vessel pretty well, neh? Oh, and wait till ya see my O.C.!  
**

(Present)

"Tsunade-sama, there is an intruder!" Shouted the Anbu as they burst into Tsunade's office.

Tsunade looked up from the scroll she was reading, a customary scowl worn upon her face.

"What's all the ruckus?"

The Anbu leader looked flustered, and snapped off a quick bow.

"H-Hokage-sama! We heard a sound-

The blond bombshell waved them off.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to work here."

"Yes ma'am!" They declared as one, and left, closing the door behind them.

'Tsunade' smirked, then her face rippled, hazel eyes changing to swirling blue.

"Idiots."

Tsking, her long hair shortened, becoming rougher, brighter, the rest of her body rippling as well...

Moments later, Naruto emerged where the fifth Hokage had been.

Dispelling the henge, he began the systematic process of looting the office.

"Now, where is that list...

At last, he found what he sought, in a hidden compartment under the desk.

Gingerly, he pulled out a scroll.

"Aha!" He cried softly, opening it, and pouring over its contents, beholding what he had sought.

It was a list alright, but not of items.

It was detailed reckoning of the Jinchuuriki like himself, and where they had come from, detailed background information...

Something made him frown. "Wait a sec...

Except for this 'Yugito' and this 'Kurabi' They were all listed M.I.A.!

Was he too late?

He shook the thought off immediately.

That was impossible! This list had to be out of date!

Alas, before he could ponder things further, the door opened...

And he found himself looking at one very ticked off Tsunade, who looked surprised to see him, upon recognizing his face.

"Naruto?!"

He snapped off a quick salute.

"Ja-ne Baa-chan!"

Tsunade held out a hand.

"Wait-

Then he was gone in a body flicker.

A team of Anbu emerged behind her seconds later.

"Hokage-sama, was that-

Sighing, the blond looked over the wreckage of her office, which Naruto had turned upside down durning his search.

"Yes, it was him.

--

Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he sprinted across the countryside, anxious to find others of his kind.

He knew what they had come from, what they had suffered, and he was confident he could persuade them to join his cause...

But he had to _find _them first.

Clearly, a jinchuuriki would try to stay hidden away from the world.

That in itself was a major problem.

For days, he wandered aimlessly in the wilderness, looking for any traces of rumors, from passerby, at inns, _anywhere_.

And the entire time, he had to keep his identity a secret, lest he himself become the target of Akatsuki, who had pronounced him dead after he used a death clone to fake his demise.

So he picked up the first piece of head gear he found, a small spherical black helmet, complete with a slideaway visor.

It looked rather odd, like something you'd wear on a motorcycle, but it kept his face hidden, proving its worth to be rather sturdy, during his encounters with thieves and bandits alike.

As long as they thought he was dead, he would be able to move in the shadows, sabotaging the Akatsuki from the inside out.

He paused briefly on the border to Amegakure.

Konan had supplied him with a good deal of information just before her untimely demise at the hands of Pein.

Cutting straight through would be the smart thing, but-

He knew that walking right through the village would be _suicide_, if he were to be found out.

Slowly, he took the long way around, wading his way through the swampy bog that encircled the Akatsuki's home base.

He almost made it too, but halfway through...

He had his first encounter with one of his own

--

Rain plinked across his helmet, and he froze in a clearing.

He saw something in his way, something that looked like a giant log...

But did it just twitch?

"Eh?"

Almost too late, he saw the slitted eye open, heard the hiss, saw its jaws open...

He leapt away as the massive alligator sprang out of the muck!

It was so fast it nearly took his leg off with its jaws, that snapped shut seconds later, with an earthshaking boom!

It was HUGE!

He drew a kunai, but was surprised when the gigantic reptile did not attack.

Lightning flashed, and he blinked, as something shiny caught his eye, and he saw jagged, blood stained steel, connected to a chain. He also noted the empty nest beneath her.

He put two and two together almost immediately, slipping his kunai back into its holster.

"Ah. You got your tail caught...

He took a step forward, and the gator lunged at him again.

He glared at it, shouting up angrily.

"OI! Do you want me to help or not?!"

With a growl, the gator closed its eyes, and moved to one side, the earth shaking slightly from its movements..

"Thatta girl...

Slowly, he approached the trap, and noticed it had a seal on it, as did the chains that bound the legs of the beast

Removing it, he yelped as he received a small charge for his efforts.

"Bugger...

It was minor, but when he removed the collar round her neck...

He got the jolt of a lifetime, and it was as if lightning hit him.

BZZAP!

"GAH! Sonova bitch!" He cried, waving his smoking hands about for a bit, much to the gator's amusement.

If she could've smiled, she would have.

Finally, when he used just a trace of Kyuubi chakra to heal his hands, Naruto clasped the steel strap, by its top, then used a partial expansion jutsu on his arms, that he had learned from Chouji.

"Alrighty! Let's get this sucker off ya!"

He felt the razor sharp spikes dig into his skin, but he growled, pulling hard, harder, even when blood was drawn, and the twisted spikes were scraping at his bones.

Crrrrrreak...

Slowly, the trap edged open, slowly, slowly...

And he felt every inch, as he tore at the crusted clamp, which dug into his skin in turn.

Whatever this thing was, it was eating his chakra, and he frowned as his arms returned to normal size.

"Damn it!"

This was taking forever!

Finally, frustration taking over, he used some more Kyuubi chakra.

Naruto slowly gnashed his teeth together, in mild pain, as his canines elongated, slowly changing into wicked fangs.

Flexing his hands, he could feel his fingernails sharpening, until they could no longer be called such, now more deadly claws, than mere skin upon his hands.

Clenching them into fists, he pierced the skin of palms-

Which healed instantaneously, despite the blood dripping down upon the street.

Two ears, red of fox chakra, finished the cloak, fully enveloped now, as the changes neared the final stages.

His voice was not his own, no longer calm and cool, but filled with wrathful fury, as the Kyuubi, looking through the eyes of Naruto, surveyed the changes which he had wrought.

**"RAGH!"** He howled, and finally succeeded in smashing a dent in it, as he yanked so hard, one of the spikes was rent asunder,

From there he proceeded to assail the tips of the metal with his chakra enhanced fists, cracking it with every blow. Finally, he found the chain, and with one swipe of a clawed hand tore the thing clear off clamp on the alligator's tail.

And _then _he got a good look at the tail.

Or should I say _tails_?

There were four scaly whips there, each one just as deadly as the last.

Red eyes went wide, as he saw keen intelligence reflected in those reptilian eyes.

Human intelligence.

**"You, you're a jinchuuriki, aren't you?"**

The creature nodded, and if he looked closely, he could see the faintest glimmer of green chakra silhouetting her form.

This clamp must have trapped her in this form.

That just left the clamp itself.

If he destroyed it, she would probably revert to normal.

Naruto held up one hand, and forced chakra into it, causing it to fluctuate wildly, until a smooth, spinning red sphere was created, emitting and audible hum as it skidded back and forth in the palm of his hand, screaming for release.

**"Rasengan!"**

With a single spring, he leapt, and smashed the steel to pieces, allowing the gator to get free, and yank its tails out..

A voice, female, suddenly pierced the air, and he saw the green chakra outline of an alliggator incline her head in respect to one of her own kind.

**"Thank you, my brother. Now I can finally release this _acursed _form..."**

The dim glow about her became neon bright, as the giant reptile shrank, taking on human shape.

Eventually, the light was so bright, that Naruto had to cover his face

Green light lit the swamp...

---

When the light had faded, a hearty sigh was heard, low and sultry. **(I'm giving her Kurenai's voice)**

"Ah, to be human again... It has been so _long _since I was caught in that foul snare."

It was then Naruto looked up and truly took in the appearance of the young goddess before him, as three tails of green chakra danced about her.

She gave a small bow.

"My thanks again. I owe you a debt I may never be able to repay."

She was wearing smooth black leather tank top which hugged her upper torso tightly, but was also short enough to show her lean and bare midriff. Meanwhile, the plunging neckline exposed a great deal of cleavage from the Wani **(Alligator) **container's ample chest. She also wore a set of alligator teeth round her neck, serving as a necklace.

The lower half of her voluptuous body was encased in tight black leather jeans that seemed to be painted upon her. The clothes revealed all of her sultry curves giving her a look of sensuous beauty, as they contrasted with her flawless alabaster skin, as did the leather alligator skin cape that hung from her slim shoulders.

Green eyes shone out of a fiercely beautiful face, and long green hair, streaked with black here and there, met his eyes last.

"Who are you?" He asked.

A smirk tugged at her lips, as she seemed to glide across the swampy pool that separated them.

Naruto couldn't help but blush at the amount of cleavage she was showing by moving so close to him, his back now leaned against the tree, her breath hot on his face.

"You may call me Mina. Mina Kazenuchi."

He scooted back a bit, then bowed a bit as well.

"Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha."

She arched a green eyebrow.

"Konoha?"

Then she saw his scratched headband.

"Ah, you have left your village-

She twisted her arm, to show the rusted mist headband round her neck.

-As I did, ages ago."

Now it was Naruto who looked to be confused, greatly so.

"Hey... just how old are you?"

She tapped one finger to her delicate chin before answering.

"Around twenty I suppose. I left when I was five."

At this the blond was gobsmacked.

"Five?! Holy-

Pain flared in his stomach, forcing him to a knee almost as if to remind him that he didn't have all day.

"Are you allright?"

"Never mind!" He snapped, holding his stomach as he rose to his feet again.

"I'm calling on the debt you owe me."

"I take it you wish for me to accompany you?" She asked, and he found himself cut off as she went on. "_And _may I assume that I am correct in believing that you are seeking to destroy the organization led by he who has strange eyes and many bodies, the one who imprisoned me here, for later capture?"

"If you mean Pein, then yeah."

Without a second thought, she extended her hand, a small smile touching at her lips.

"Then I shall join you, Naruto-san."

He took her hand and they shook.

"Good. Now lets get outta here."

--

"WHAT?!" Shouted Pein, upon receiving the report that the four tailed beast had escaped the trap set for it.

From his place in Amegakura, he glared miles across at Deidara and the newly reincarnated Sasori. "Find her, and don't return until you do! I don't care how long it takes!"

Exasperated, he sank back on the throne, scratching at his hair, as the image faded

"Hidan and Kakuzu will succeed...

They already had the one and three tailed beasts, and were hot on the trail of the second, but as to just _how _the four tailed jinchuuriki had escaped was beyond him.

He had a bad feeling about this.

And things were about to get worse for him.

MUCH worse.


	4. On to the Next One!

**As a side note, some bleach spells will be used in this fic, but there will be no other mention of crossover in that regard!**

**Enjoy!**

Naruto finally removed his helmet, after a long steady run, pulling it off with both hands, cradling it under his right arm.

He was aware of Mina's eyes on him, as he wiped sweat of his brow.

"What? Did you think I was some ugly old geezer under this thing?"

Mina shook her head, looking quite satisfied.

"No, it is just that expected one of my own kind to be quite the good looker."

He shot her a glare.

"And with your helmet, I made the assumption that you were hiding an ugly visage."

She took a step closer to him, her breath a hot waft on his face, in the chilly November air, making him shudder a bit, and not just from the warmth of the steam before him.

It was those _eyes._

It was as if she held some sort of spell over him.

He was completely ensared, caught in her thrall, unable to look away from her emerald orbs, which had just the right mixture of light green, and deep viridian, to create the gorgeous color of her eyes.

Spellbound as he was...she had him.

And she knew it.

"It appears I was wrong about you." She murmurred, running a practiced eye down the length of his form. "You are quite handsome."

Flustered, he spat the first thing that came to his mind.

"Yeah, well-well-

Why was he getting so annoyed?!"

-you don't look half bad yourself!" The words were out before he could bite down on them.

Silence hung in the air.

She arched a green eyebrow, then walked past him, her hip brushing against his side, as she walked, words drifting past her on the air, whispering into his ear, as he caught himself staring at her rear, thanks to a breeze that had blown her cape to one side, for just a moment.

She looked back to give him a smirk.

"Touche."

--

Lightning crashed through the skies overhead, thunder rumbled through those trees, and fierce winds howled about, creating an eerie scene with dark skies overhead.

Faster!

Faster!

She ran, harder than she ever had before, her robe in tatters, burnt, scorched and singed from the last attack.

_'I have to run!'_

The Raikage had assured her that this would be a light mission, one easy to handle with her skills, and with a team of Anbu accompanying her, she would be fine.

It was a simple scouting mission, he said, nothing dangerous...

He had _neglected_ to mention that the Akatsuki were in the area!

She had been separated from team, which was now dead, and she was left to fend for herself.

A deep laugh rose from the forest around her.

_'They're catching up!'_

Whimpering, she began hastening her footfalls into rapid runs, fleeing for her very life, panting heavily, as her boots thudded against the swampy turf.

They had been pursuing her, for what felt like an eternity.

No matter how far she ran, no matter which way she turned...

There they were, hot on her trail.

Her foot caught itself on a root.

She stumbled over the fallen branch, then fell facefirst into the mud. Crying out, she spat out a brown glob, them hastily whiping at her face, clamored up to her hands and knees.

Her doe brown eyes caught the reflection in the puddle looking down into a puddle.

A terrified visage stared up at her, on its hands and knees. Her head band slipped out of its knot around her foreheard, allowing the long tresses of blond hair fall to cascade down her shoulders.

Cussing rapidly, she threw away the useless, rain soaked cloak, exposing herself in a simple blue jumpsuit, that bore a scratched over her flat stomach, a trio of bleeding claw mark gashes. **(Think Padme's attire from Attack of the Clones Arena battle, but black)**

Trees crashed to the ground behind her, each with a mighty crash.

She had to get out of here!

She had to get away, get away-

Anywhere but here!

She saw them behind her, and her mouth opened to scream, as they sprang!

**"Katon: Gouryaku no jutsu!"**

The ground veritably _exploded _with red power, as a dark figure slammed down into the swampy floor before her, spewing flames from his hands, and greeting the intruders with a wall of fire, the roaring inferno forcing the two S-class nin back.

"The fuck is this?!" Spat Hidan, covering his face with one arm, whilst he and Kakuzu leapt back a pace, distancing themselves.

He wore a long flowing cloak that hid his body beneath its robes, much like an Akatsuki.

A breeze briefly swept it up, and revealed what he wore underneath.

His stolen Anbu attire was worn and tattered, armor shattered from fighting, and growing over time.

His body was muscular in a way that you know that he was strong but in a way that showed that it wouldn't slow him down.

With one hand, he reached, under his helmet, placed his gloved thumbs into his mouth...

Then he used his sharp canines teeth to bite his thumbs, drawing blood as necessary then slapped both hands down upon the ground, speaking in a deep and booming voice behind his helmet, as the place where his hands were, began to glow a dull red with his words.

"**Hia ****waga ****kyo****! Kusari** **Issen ****Kumori!"** **(Here my cries and come unto me! Chains of one thousand shadows!) **

All at once, thousands of linked chains erupted from the ground, crisscrossing one another in rapid intervals, and forming a wall of moving metal

Naruto was quick to keep going, and reached out to snag one of the linked segments, tangling it about the entire length of his left arm, which was heavily wrapped in cloth, just for this situation.

**"Hibana ****tameni ware****! Issen ****boruto!" (Spark for me! One thousand volts!)  
**

As one, the chains split apart, then reconjoined, forming segments of linked bars, that danced about him haphazardly.

But now they crackled with electricity, the bolts reflecting off his black helmet, giving him a frightening appearance, while he stalked forward, spinning the links around him, much like a whip, one that cracked against the ground repeatedly, cutting swathes of power into the earth, wherever it touched.

"How about leave her here, I'm sure she had a nice spar with you two" said Naruto earning tick marks from the two.

"How about I send you to Jashin as a scarf ice?!" Snapped Hidan, hefting his scythe menacingly.

Kyuubi screamed for him to kill the men, but the blond knew stealth was needed here.

"How about no."

"Who are you anyway?" asked Kakuzu

"Who me? You may call me... Marcus." Lied the blond through his teeth, as sparks danced about his dark form.

"Hey kid I never heard of you so beat it" repled Kakuzu.

Naruto smirked.

_'Heh. With my helmet, they don't even recognize me. Perfect..._

Rolling his shoulders casually, he intended to make good on that.

"Well that's good news. No need to have any more people after my head."

His eyes darted imperceptibly to his fellow jinchuuriki.

He had one shot at this, while he still had the element of surprise on his side.

"Of course...

The chains suddenly went limp in his hand.

Behind the biker helmet, the blond was grinning wickedly.

"I never said anything about lopping of something of yours!"

Now he risked being discovered, as he placed his hands in an all too familair seal.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"

Immediately, two other clones poofed into existence, beside him, clad in the exact same attire, helmets and all.

Naruto undid the length of chain around his arm, and distributed a portion of it to them.

The two copies moved to take up positions on either side of the Akatsuki, until a triangle point was formed, with Naruto at the tip of the tri-pronged shape.

All this happened in less than three seconds.

He got down on one knee, casting his chain out, to wrap it around them.

Naruto sprang up from his knees, whipping the links above his head, then slashing down in a mighty whip that in turn split, just before impact. All present looked on in awe , degsegmenting, and forming a perimeter about the two man cell, and ke

"S-Sugoi **(Amazing)**...Murmured Yugito, as she watched the fireworks take place.

"Mina now!" He called, and no sooner had he spoken her name, then several daggers lunged from the shadows, one scoring a hit on Kakuzu's arm, the other sliding through the flesh of Kakuzu's leg.

Both cursed, and were quick to yank out the projectiles. But before they could drop the kunai...

They froze, unable to move.

"What?!" Ground out Kakuzu behind clenched teeth.

"Damnit!" Hissed Hidan, as he willed his muscles to move, time and time again, but they would do no such thing.

He raised one hand in a half ram seal, and the line rose into four walls, as the Akatsuki looked on in shock, too stunned to move.

"Goodbye." Smirked Naruto, then clenched the seal into a fist, as the other Naruto's spun their chains around and together, in the shape of a triangle, binding them close

Then the cage slammed shut, trapping the evil men.

Now for the others...

**KIT! They're less than thirty meters from here! At this rate, they'll see you!"**

"Dang it." Was his muttered reply, as he stalked towards the tree, ripping off his helmet, and slinging it in a storage scroll...

It was best if he didn't hide his face from his own kind....

--

Out of the thick curtains of rain, she saw him make his way to her tree, and in a second, he parted the thick sheets of rain before him, and she stifled a gasp as she finally got a good look at her rescuer. The shadows parted, revealing his face, and the kindest pair of sapphire blue eyes she had ever met.

Doe brown eyes met sapphire blue in that instant, and she looked down, as he extended his hand to her, He spoke first, and gone was the tone of jeering, and all she heard in his voice was kindness. "That was pretty scary back there, huh? My name is Naruto."

She gave hers, albeit hesitantly, a second later. When she spoke, her voice was rich and smooth, a woman's voice in every way, despite the reluctance in her tone.

"...Yugito."

He nodded, and gestured to the clone, who vanished in a poof of smoke, leaving her to lean back against the. "I have little time, and I will make this quick. I have tracker nin in pursuit of me. I could leave you here-

He saw panic flash through her eyes, before it vanished, and was forced down. He mentally commended her for that feat. _'She controls her emotions well. Perhaps she will be of use as an ally after all..'_

"But, that would leave you easy prey to the Akatsuki, which seems to be our mutual enemy. As a PERSON, and a fellow Jinchuuriki, It would just not sit well with me." Now he stepped forward, and placed a hand on her shoulder, whilst his other went under her arms, to support her.

Her face turned red at this, but it was only for the briefest of seconds, and it was gone before he could notice it. He was too caught up in those eyes of hers anyway. He had been staring into those deep brown pools the entire time, and he flet hypnotized, by her calm, yet slightly nervous stare.

His next words finally got her mind working again, as shock and surprise set in, whilst her ears picked up the sound of footsteps.

Mina soon arrived, dripping wet, but oddly at home in this torrential downpour.

"Care to join up with us?" Her eyes widened a bit at that, but after seeing the way he had dispatched the two Akatsuki, with less than HALF his true strength-

The voice of the Nibi, the two tailed cat, purred to her, heard inside her mind, cutting her off. The tone of that cat was laced with curiosity, as which all felines were infamous for. That, and what felt like...desire? **"I think we would be safe with this one kitten. He seems to be of pure heart, and if he is indeed the vessel of the Kyuubi, then perhaps we could-**

Her voice stopped there, as Yugito forcefully protested the the perverted images in her head, with all her might.

_'Whoa there miss pervert! Don't be getting any ideas there! I don't even know-_

She hissed in pain, as he let her go, his hand brushing over her broken arm.

"Ow-MMPH!" Was her muffled cry, as Naruto suddenly clapped his right hand over her mouth, forcing her to be silent, whilst her brown eyes went wide with uncontrolled shock and fear.

She reacted in an instant, and he bit his lip as he felt her stamp her foot down onto his.

Even that, was barely enough to keep him from shouting, and she wasn't letting up in the pressure of her foot, so pressing himself against her, he murmured into her ear, voice soft, but laced with pain, from her hard stomp. "

"Sh! We have company, and unless you want to get caught-

Her eyes narrowed, and she shook her head rapidly in response, nervous as can be, at the thought of more Akatsuki pursuing her.

Naruto sighed in relief, as she lessened the pressure on his foot. "Good. Now quiet." Quickly, he jerked his head down,and the response of the Nibi vessel was instantaneous, the pain stopped.

Mina's cloak appeared out of the rain, she stepped in and pressed herself against Naruto'sback, which in turn pressed _him _against Yugito, who looked none to pleased about this, as her form pressed flush against him.

"Sshhhh.... Was his whispered murmur, barely heard unto her. "They're here."

With her free hand, the four tailed jinchuuriki grasped her cloak.

Naruto twisted an arm around to grab her by the waist, thus pulling her closer, and putting the three of them in a rather compromising position.

They all had to touch for this to work.

He placed one gloved hand over hers, and together, they pulled it about them-

Just as a Itachi Uchiha poked his head through the curtain of rain and looked about, blinking as he cleared the water from his eyes.

They were still near here, judging by the cage that held Hidan and Kakuzu.

He saw nothing but a tree, and a quick glance up at the tree revealed no one hidden in its dense branches.

"Hmm...

Then a male voice called out from behind the wall of water. "See anyone Itachi?"

The Uchiha frowned as he kept searching the tree tops. "Hine, come here. I need your eyes."

For a second, the former prodigy Jonin pulled his head out of the torrent, and then came back, with a paled eyed woman, who looked to be just as drenched as he was. But drenched or not, her Byakugan was still activated, piercing through all about him, as the colors faded to gray, and his vision expanded to nearly 360 degrees.

Itachi smirked to himself.

Hine was still new to the group, but already her Byakugan had proved invalauble in tracking down two Jinchuuriki.

She had also indicated that the nine tailed vessel was nearby the reason for two squads instead of one, as the still needed the nine, two, eight and seven tailed beasts...

But all she saw was the tree, the lone source of life in the area.

"I don't see anyone, Itachi-sama."

Yugito was trying her best to keep quiet, as she peered through the dark fabric of the dark brown cloak that Mina had shielded them with.

Then, as seconds turned into minutes, she strangled a relieved sigh as they pulled out of the curtain of rain, their fading voices echoing and then fading away, as Jiraiya began his distraction, toppling a tree in the distance. "He must have gone this way!" Then the sound of fading footfalls.

They were safe.

For now.

Naruto then allowed Mina to pull back the cloak, and breathed a sigh of relief, as he released his hold on Yugito's mouth, pulling his hand away, and allowing her to breathe freely. "So about my offer? Interested?"

She sighed at his persistence, but found it rather...endearing, giving a dry laugh, causing him to give her a confused stare as she spoke. "Okay hotshot, If I say yes, will you make SURE no more freaks in cloaks come after me?" Now she brought her face _dangerously _close to his, and he blushed a bit at that.

Her voice held just a _hint _of desire as she spoke. "Will you treat me right? As an _equal_?"

Obvious answer there. "Of course. Any ally I have IS an equal in my eyes."

Seemingly satisfied, she pulled her face away from his, letting out a sigh as he made no move to do anything-

Until she felt his hand on her cheek, brushing against her skin, causing her face to lit up red, much like Hinata's infamous blush.

"Wha-Wha-What?" She stammered as he pulled back, a wry grin on his face as he spoke to her, grinning cheerily.

Maybe pervy sage was right about girls on _some _levels.

Naruto waved her onwward, as he and Mina dissapeared through the rain, only for him to poke his head out seconds later.

"Come on. We've gotta go get the others...

--

Mina looked up from the book she was reading as they walked, as Naruto emerged from the forest, with Yugito in tow.

"Yugito, this is Mina-chan. Mina-chan, this is Yugito." Naruto introduced the two of them to each other.

Sparks flashed between their eyes.

"Nice to meet you." They said, but it was deadly.

Naruto groaned.

If all the jinchuuriki were female, than this was gonna be difficult....


	5. Rising Evil

(Akatsuki hideout)

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Screamed Pein, as he was given word that now the Nibi had eluded their grasp as well, this time thanks to an masked individual who went by the name of 'Marcus', who had summarily dismantled Kakuzu and Hidan, then vanished without a trace.

Furious at _another _failure, he killed the messenger on the spot.

As the man's blood stained the ground, Pein's plentiful curses were the last sounds he would ever hear in this lifetime.

"How can this be happening?! Who is this man, and how is he doing this?!"

He had already snatched two bijuu from under their very noses!

This was ridiculous!

**"Having trouble?" **The man asked again from the shadows, his face hidden by a mask, but you could easily detect amusement in his tone.

Pein was most certainly _not _amused.

"Silence! I do not need your help!" Hissed Pein, but suddenly found himself unable to move, as their eyes locked.

The amusement was suddenly gone from the man's voice, his tone that of cold steel, lethal and deadly. **"Remember Pein, it is _I _not you, who commands Akatsuki. You are but a puppet, who dances at the command of the puppeteer, obeying his every whim." **A massive killer intent flooded the air, as the intruder removed his mask.

Pein paled immediately, as he was forced to his knees, by an unseen force, then the mask was placed back upon his face, hiding his identity once more.

**"Now you will do as I say. If our little friend wants to gather the jinchuuriki, then _let_him. It will serve us better in the long run. If we are able to capture a bijuu or two before he does, then that too will serve the greater goal."**

He gave a small shrug, as if neither method mattered.

**"And when is he gathers all the bijuu together...**

He raised a hand, and clenched it into a fist, emphasizing his point.

**"THAT is when we will strike. ****If he wants to tangle with Akatsuki, so badly then we will give him what he wants."**

He turned to go, footfalls echoing through the empty corridors.

**"After all, he is only a human...**

As he crushed the report in his fist, the Rinengan **(Or whatever you call it)** user made a silent vow.

As 'God' he would crush this meddler, with or without _his _help!

--

Naruto could tell almost immediately that Mina and Yugito were at odds with each other.

Or rather, _Yugito_ was at odds with _Mina_.

The Nibi vessel kept glaring at the four tailed jinchuuriki, and only seemed to grow increasingly frustrated, for some odd reason, or maybe it was due to the fact that the Wani container was walking so close to Naruto, who had yet to comment on the matter at all, OR tell her where they were going.

This went on for some time, until at last, an hour into their trek...

Yugito reached her breaking point, halting to stamp as the two kept walking

"Will one of you just say _something_ already?!"

Mina just looked over her shoulder as they walked.

"Keep up." She replied simply, seeing no point whatsoever to engage in such pointless bickering.

Yugito's angry hiss was the only warning she got.

"Why you-

Naruto's brow twitched.

He would not tolerate fighting, _especially _amongst his own.

Yet before she could leap, Naruto had stopped his fellow blond in her tracks, via coiling a chain round her neck, tight enough to hold her, but loose enough to refrain from strangling the life out.

Nevertheless, the former Kumo nin let out a startled cry, as she was yanked towards him, then seized by the waist, as his free hand ripped off his helmet, exposing his visage.

Were his eyes a tad _red_ just now?

"Yugito-san. Be _nice_." He hissed, baring his canines in a snarl.

The slitted pupils made it obvious what he _really _was, and she regretted ignoring the Nibi's words of before.

This guy...

He was the nine tailed fox vessel!

She managed a nod, slightly fearful of what she had just bore witnessed to, yet some part of her, felt strangely aroused by it. Or was that just the Nibi screwing with her body again? Either way, she chose to apologize, and live to mull the matter over.

"F-Fine. But I want to know where we are going." She stated firmly.

Naruto's ears suddenly pricked up.

"Fine, but first-

He whirled around, and thrust a palm at a bush, emitting a deep red light from his palm

"Begone!"

Immediately, the spy was vaporized, and the information he had been about to send to Pein, was lost with him.

Tsking, Naruto watched steam rise from where the spy had been.

Turning, he was about to grant her request...

But instead winced as he felt pain in his gut again, this time lasting longer than before.

He shouldn't have done that little trick.

"Come on." He grumbled, hastening his pace into a jog. "We gotta get going...

--

(Hour later, Mountain pass)

The gravel crumbled under his feet, the noise was like a jackhammer in his mind, as he walked up the hill, the road that would lead them to the one place he could rest, without losing his sanity.

His head throbbed, and he could hear the fox, raving about how it would soon be free.

_'Not if I can help it..._

The sun had just set, and no sign of civilization was in sight.

Their was a starry sky overhead, and a full moon shone down on them, as they left the flat path, and began to ascent.

They were halfway over the rise, and above a steep drop that lead to certain death on the rocks below.

Both kunoichi paid extra careful attention to where they were walking, as the path was crumbly and old, liable to give way under their feet at any moment.

"Be careful." Warned the blond, looking over his shoulder at them to make sure they did so...

And suddenly found his gaze transfixed upon the two lovely women into whose company he had so recently come.

First, he gazed at her face. It was if he just now noticed the firm features of her face, and her skin, oh her skin...It was just the right shade, somewhere between tan and pale, he had no idea. Her hair, it practically _glowed _in the moonlight, bouncing with every step, as did her-

He suddenly took note of just how _tattered_ Yugito's upper clothing was.

Her shirt had been shredded in a good many places exposing a great deal of her cleavage in the shirt. He was also aware of just how _large_ those breasts of her's were, seeming to jiggle with even the slightest of movements.

Realizing his train of thought, he looked away, before she could look at _him_.

Or at least, that was what he _tried _to do, was _supposed_ to do.

But no, instead, his eyes traveled down, to her midsection and her hips, laid bare, as her jeans were not in good shape either.

They too sported multiple tears, and were even shredded off at the knees. Yet there was _just enough _material there, to accentuate the oh so-subtle dip of her waist. And oh, movement of her hips, swaying from side to side with every movement, every step, it was entrancing to him, as he observed not a trace of fat or flab to be seen upon her skin, just pure, toned muscle....

Somehow, he noticed that Yugito was blushing lightly, and that was enough to restore his sanity.

_'Cut it out!' _He told himself, yanking his gaze away...

Only for it to fall on Mina, and the moment it did, he was trapped again, transfixed by her savagely ethereal beauty.

Her steps, they were _different _from Yugito's, they were smooth, lithe and graceful, as if she knew where she was headed, before even moving. _Her _skin was a perfect tan, one that reflected off the moonlight, as she easily kept pace with him, slightly ahead of Yugito, yet still a step or two behind him.

Her lips, full and luscious, caught his eyes, first, and he longed to cover them with his own.

His gaze traveled down her neck, and to her breasts, which, although a size smaller than Yugito's, seemed _fuller _somehow, more ripe, more developed, than those of the Nibi vessel. Idly, he pondered upon sucking on them, wondering what reaction this might instill from her.

_'Oi! What are you thinking?!' _He snapped at himself, breaking through the haze once more.

What was worse, was that she was aware of his stare from the start, and the fact that she tugged her pants down, just a _bit, _enough to expose her fully, mature figure, while not exposing her pelvic area,did not help him in the least.

Oh no, it made things _so _much worse, as he gazed lustfully at her, somehow repressing the desire to take both her and the blond right here and now, to make them moan in ecstasy as they made love...

The skin of Mina's hips caught his eyes, and he _ached _to hold her there, and kiss her with reckless abandon.

He again noticed just how tattered Yugito's clothing was, and how _easily_ it would come off.

All it would take was a good yank...

Somehow, he broke through temptation again, and shook his head.

With all this perverted thoughts, how he did not fall off the cliff while he was walking, he had no _idea_.

Naruto looked down at his hands...

And saw claws, sticking out of the gloves, and slowly extending.

THAT was a much needed wakeup call.

_'No!'_

He abruptly broke into a run, refusing to look back, calling to them instead over his shoulder, eyes fixed upon the road ahead.

"C'MON!"

Then it happened.

"Kuso!" He cried out, as the laughter started again.

Instantly, he banished the kitsune's chakra from his body...

But it was too late.

**Foolish whelp! I WILL be free!**

With a howl, he fell to one knee, clutching his side, trying his best to stifle the pain, without losing control of himself, eyes now flickering from red to blue, at haphazard intervals, a inner battle taking place within his very soul

"What the-

Mina shoved her aside, and knelt down beside him, talking as she went to work on his side, pressing her own bijuu's chakra into him, in an effort to supress the Kyuubi. Green light danced from her fingertips, and the seal set upon her lower back, as she set to her task with great diligence.

"It's his seal. Its steadily releasing chakra, slowly coming undone everyday. If this continues, he'll likely go mad, or the resulting burst of energy will tear his body apart."

She winced, as red sparks zapped her wrist, rejecting the chakra.

_Comfort him, child! _Cried her own demon, feeling oddly protective of this blond youngling. _If you don't, he will lose himself to madness!_

Yugito felt herself take a small step backwards, as Mina began whispering soothing words to him, as instructed by her own demon.

"W-Wait a sec, you mean he's _that _unstable?!"

Mina ignored her, shaking Naruto lightly, as he scrunched his eyes shut.

"Fight it! Resist!"

"I...**can't!" **He hissed, voice alternating between his and the Kyuubi's, as he struggled to his feet, and began to stagger about.

Mina got up and ran after him, whilst Yugito looked on in shock, as her fellow kunoichi tried to calm Naruto down.

"You must!" She shouted!

**_Kitten! Help him! _**Hissed the Nibi, but Yugito remained silent.

In response, Naruto held his head back in his hands, and _screamed._

He scratched and clawed at his hair, as if doing so would rid him of the dark influence that was seeking to take hold of his very soul.

"That's it! Resist!" Pleaded Mina, as he began to stagger about.

Finally, he stopped, and brought both arms out in fists.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

The reuslting explosion of chakra nearly blew both women back, as he was suddenly engulfed in a blazing red aura. It was similair to that of a jinchuuriji cloak minus the tails and ears. The wind force tore at them both, and Yugito soon found that she had to use one of her two tails to stay her ground, and even then, she had to dig her claws into the ground just to avoid being blown away.

Somehow, seeing someone like this, it was an eerie rememberance to what had happened to her, before she had learned to co-exist with her demon, who in reality, wasn't really that bad, unless she was provoked.

Naruto's however, was pure _evil _and wanted nothing more than to kill and slaughter, with an insatiable blood lust that could be felt even from here. Still, she remembered seeing _kindness_ in those bright blue eyes of his, something this world was greatly lacking in now a days.

Seeing him like this, _anyone _like this, is brought tears to her eyes.

_'He was nice enough to save me, I'll...I'll do the same for him!'_

The words all but _exploded _from her mouth!

"Don't let him win Naruto! Don't let him do it!"

At this, the blond stiffened, and slashed at the air with his hands, as if he were fighting an invisible enemy.

"Thats it! Fight Fight it!"

Mina's words rang in his head now, followed by Yugito's, the two working in tandem, against the vortex of power he was creating.

If they didn't calm him down soon, they'd be discovered!

"Naruto no!"

"Don't let him!"

"You've changed!"

"You're not that way anymore!"

"The kyuubi has no claim over you!"

**"Who are you to know what I was and what I am?!" **He suddenly snapped, and two tails of chakra burst out behind him, completing the cloak, and blasting them both back with a roar.

But still they persisted.

"Don't let him take you!"

"Let go!"

"The past is the past, be innocent and clear!"

Alas, this seemed to have an adverse effect on him, as it immediately triggered an image of Konan, and how she died.

Right before his very eyes.

His scream smacked hard into Yugito, along with a dome of chakra.

**"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?! I AM _NOT_ INNOCENT!"**

The resulting collision tore her from her handhold, but at the last second, Mina snagged her off the wall with a chakra tail, and slowly began to reel her in.

Yugito hung in the air, then paled as she saw the long drop that awaited her if she fell.

Mina still tried to reason with him.

"Resist Naruto! You're not like that anymore! You've changed!"

Naruto grabbed his head, and grit his teeth together, growling through his teeth, howling all the while.

Suddenly, he stopped, then stabbed himself in the arm with a kunai.

Immediately, the kyuubi stopped laughing.

**What?**

Naruto repeated the proceedure on his other arm, and forced the fox to heal that as well.

**No! Stop!**

He did this until the demon had lost half its strength, thus losing the power needed to break free.

**Fool! You have not heard the last of-**

He cut it off with a mental effort.

_'Shaddap.'_

He looked at his two companions, with sad, red eyes, that melted into blue, before he continued his march uphill, refusing to look back on them, lest he be tempted again.

....Let's go...


	6. Quelling the Storm

**This an alternate universe sorta thing, so most of the akatsuki, heck, probably _all_of the akatsuki are still alive. Yes, Konoha is still in shambles, so that is why Naruto doesn't have any hunter nin after him, because everyone thinks he's dead, except Tsunade, who would never try to kill him. And yes, there will be a few mix arounds as to who has what demon and such, but that's primarily because Kishimoto never said what the other bijuu were _exactly_.**

**That being explained...**

**Ja Ne!**

They walked up the mountain in silence.

The crushing of gravel beneath their boots and sandals was the only sound to be heard, as the three weary travelers trudged their way up the path, the moon their only source of light in the night.

Tension hung thick in the air, you could cut it with a knife, it was that palpable.

Naruto walked at a distance from his two companions, and with good reason, as he feared the slightest thing might set him off, and let the Kyuubi out.

He couldn't keep cutting himself to stave off the Kyuubi; the fox would eventually find a way around that.

He could always use his sage chakra to hold the beast back, but that wasn't unlimited either.

It wanted _out_, and would likely get _out_, though he sought a way to fight the inner darkness within.

Again it spoke to him, and he clutched at his face briefly

**You cannot hold me back forever!**

And again he fought and clawed at it, attacking with such ferocity that the Kyuubi was suppressed before any of its chakra could reach him.

_'Just watch me!'_

He silently wondered to himself.

What _would _happen after this? Even if he did quell the beast, and if Akatsuki was wiped out? What would he do? Where would he and his brethren go?

Certainly not back to Konoha.

It…

It just didn't feel like home anymore, no, not after-after-

He bit back bile in his throat, when he recalled what Pein did to his nakama, his precious people.

Ero-senin...

Kakashi-sensei...

Hinata…

Sakura…

At his sides, both hands clenched into fists, grinding the fabric of his gloves together.

He had _killed_them, in an effort to draw Naruto out.

He had succeeded, and a furious blond had confronted him the very next day.

The battle had been fierce, but futile. Naruto had used up to eight of his nine tails, before faking his death in battle, upon realizing that he could not win alone, when the rest of the Akatsuki came for him.

No, not with the _entire _Akatsuki breathing down his very neck, and his seal slowly unwinding itself.

He needed help.

He needed to rediscover the feeling that had kept him calm.

He had to.

Before...

Before...

It was too late.

In the end, it was either him or the Kyuubi.

One would submit, the other would lead.

One would be the king...

The other...

His horse.

--

"And those are your orders. Hidan, your team is to track down the six tailed vessel, Kurama Yakumo. Itachi, you and your group its to obtain the seven tailed vessel, and try to draw out Marcus." Stated Pein, in hologram form, vanishing seconds later.

Itachi nodded, and turned to Hine and Kisame.

"Understood."

"Is he really serious?" Quipped Kisame, rather surprised at the audacity of the orders.

"Leader-sama knows what he is doing." Stated Hine firmly.

"Are you afraid, Kisame?" Asked Itachi, the cold look in his eyes clearly showing that he was not.

"Whatever." Grumbled the former mist nin. "Still doesn't mean I have to agree with it...

"Well, let's go then." Stated Kakuzu, and with that, everyone split up.

The hunt had begun!

--

Unaware of what had just been wrought, Naruto was still deep in thought.

Konan...

She had helped him fake his death, just _seconds _before she too was forcefully ripped away from this world, from him.

"Konan…He murmured forlornly, a lost and saddened look in his eyes, tears welling up even now

_She_ would know what to do. _She_ had always been so certain, so _sure _in every single thing she did.

He felt so utterly _lost_ without _her_ by his side, _his_ angel, his-his...

A ragged sigh escaped him, and his shoulders slumped, as he slapped the helmet back on his face, hiding his visage from the world once more.

"I miss you. I miss you so friggin' much...

When she had been around, he had taken comfort in her presence. She had been a pillar of strength for him, when he found out that his seal was coming undone, and for a time, it had even stopped its rapid deterioration.

That was, until Pein ripped her heart out.

Madness driving him, Naruto had lost all sense of self.

He still remembered the sight of her lifeless, motionless corpse, as he felt the Kyuubi take him, the agonized scream still resounding in his ears, his own horrifyingly anime

Bereft and grief stricken, he had unleashed a massive dome of demonic chakra, the likes of which the world had never seen.

The end result being that he was now steadily losing his power to control the fox.

So his fellow Jinchuuriki stayed back.

Mina kept her distance, not out of fear…

But out of mutual respect for what he was dealing.

Apparently, Naruto had something bugging him, and like a patient predator…

She would let him come to her, and when he did…

He would be hers, and she would be his.

She took some comfort in that.

Yugito however, was _not_ so patient, and lacked wisdom in the ways of the world, something Mina had grown to accumulate during her long life.

Naruto could feel her eyes on him, and bit his lip as her pace hastened a step, until she was walking beside him, matching him stride for stride.

He made no movement to outdistance her, but stiffened a bit nonetheless, as her hand, light and delicate, and so very fragile to own who held such power, grasped his arm lightly.

Awkward moment much.

"Hey…are you alright?" It was the first thing Yugito could think of to say to him, and it was also the most _obvious_.

Annoyed, he walked faster, but she again matched his speed, frowning slightly, still trying to be nice.

"I asked you a question."

He kept increasing his strides, until he was practically running up the mountain, all under his own power.

Yugito eventually used one of her two tails of chakra to keep pace with him, but thanks to the Nibi's power, she easily kept pace with him.

Now, she was smirking, knowing that he was refraining from using the his biju, whilst she was free to use her own without discretion.

"I can do this all day."

This continued on for a little bit, whilst a rather bemused Mina observed from further back...

Finally, when they reached the rise, Naruto stopped dead in his tracks.

In one smooth motion, he pulled up the visor of his helmet, and spoke quietly, so as not to get angry, spinning to face her as well.

"What do you want, Yugito-san?"

She crossed her arms, and leaned against a nearby boulder, gazing at him intently.

"That power back there, it was unstable."

"No, _really?!" _He all but hissed, oozing sarcasm from every pore, suddenly very angry, when he had no reason to be.

Another demonstration of just how far he was falling.

Falling into the darkness.

This only annoyed Yugito further, and with an exasperated hiss, she blew away a strand of hair that had been in the hindsight of her vision

"What is _with_ you? It's like you've got a chip on your shoulder or something!"

"I have my reasons." He replied simply, slapping down the visor, hiding his face.

With a flourish of his cape, he was turning to continue on, as Mina appeared over the rise, having taken her time in catching up.

Annoyed, and briefly forgetting that he could easily rend her limb from limb if he wanted to, she pushed herself off the rock.

"Hold it! I'm not done with you yet!"

He froze, as she grabbed him by the shoulder.

The pain started up again, weaker, but it was still there, ready to swarm over him, should he cave in to hate.

"…You're making me very... _angry_, Yugito-san."

"Then let's see just how _angry_ you can get!" She shrieked, absolutely fed up with his 'silent and serious' demeanor, and the lack of answers she was getting from this guy.

In turn, she _shoved_ him back a pace.

"Well?! Let's see it!"

Doing so again, when he made no effort to resist.

"Come _on_!"

Mina shook her head.

"Yugito-san, I would refrain from shoving him if I were you-

Too late, she was furious now, and despite the whispers of the Nibi for her to stop, she only shoved all the harder.

"If you're gonna get mad, then attack me already! I won't follow some gutless coward!"

After a third shove, he finally relented.

His head snapped up!

A fierce howl tore its way out his throat!

"ENOUGH!"

Somehow, he just _moved, _in one place one moment, then on her the next.

All without taking a single step.

The resulting chakra claw seized her in the blink of an eye, squeezing down with brutal intensity, causing her to cry out in pain. The tips of it dug into her skin, as he slammed her against the boulder, in a brutal choke-hold.

Sinister laughter rose from his helmet, and some part of him took great pleasure in the pain he was causing her.

Red eyes shone behind the blackness of his polished helm, and Yugito realized too late that she had gone too far in pressing him for answers.

"Is this what you wanted?" He hissed darkly, pulling aside the folds of his cloak, to expose his right arm, encased in red light, which was beginning to suffocate her. "Are you satisfied now?" The fox was whispering for him to kill her, or even better, take her here and now, make her submit to him, cry out his name in orgasm...

It was all he could do just to stand still.

Yugito managed a nod, a thin line of blood ran down her mouth, the words a dry rasp, as her vision narrowed. "S-Sorry, I d-didn't m-mean to…

Mina suddenly gripped his shoulder, preventing any violent reactions from him, which might have followed her words.

He looked back at her, and in response, she ripped of his helmet, in order to see just how far he was transforming.

Red hatred in his eyes was enough of an answer, as was his sharp fangs, bared in a snarl.

It would take more than that to scare her.

The power of the Yonbi coursed through her, adding weight to her words.

"_Enough _Naruto. She merely seeks answers from you. It was not her intent for you to go this far."

"Who **are **you **to**-

"I said _enough_."

Her arm slapped against his and a loud CRACK! was heard.

Metal vs flesh.

The former easily won out.

The scales of her arm guards met bone, breaking his arm, snapping it like a twig.

Crying out, he opened his hand, clutching at it in agony which in turn released the claw, and dropped Yugito to the ground, in all but a heap

She landed in an animal crouch, clamoring up on all fours, ready to pounce at a moments notice, as the chakra of her Nibi cloak licked at her wounds, healing them, one tail of sapphire blue chakra swaying behind her, slitted blue eyes reflecting uncertainty and fear.

Immediately, she worried for the safety of Mina, even though she considered the woman to be her enemy.

"H-Hey! Get away from him before he does the same to you!"

The four tailed Jinchuuriki paid her no heed, instead squeezing down on his amr harder, until a small cracking sound could be heard, indicating that she had broken something.

Immediately, the crimson chakra rushed to his wound, and began repairing it, then returning back to the seal but a moment later.

That matter attended to, Mina proceeded to follow the tainted life force back to its source.

Clearly he was unstable, and patient as she was, this matter needed to be remedied quickly, or at least slowed, before they arrived at their destination. It simply would not do at all if Naruto was to lose control _there._

"Keep watch." She instructed Yugito.

Risking her own soul, she closed her eyes, and delved deep into Naruto's mind...

--

Yugito sighed as she watched the two of them, just standing there in a trance.

Absent minded, she twirled a kunai about her finger...

That is, until she heard footsteps.

The Nibi vessel spun round the moment she footfalls, and beheld an elderly fellow with red hair in a ponytail, odd clothing, along with a large grey mark across his nose.

"How long have you been following us?!"

"Hold it!" Cried the old man, waving his hands frantically, as he saw her knife. " No need for violence! I come in peace!"

"And just who the hell're you?!" Hissed the jinchuuriki, refusing to let her guard down for even a second.

The mysterious man idly scratched the back of his head.

"A jinchuuriki my dear, much like yourself, just passing through these parts."

At this, a look of incredulity passed over the blonde's face.

"Do you honestly expect me to fall for-

The man lifted up a sleeve to expose a seal.

"Ah, I understand your suspicions."

His black eyes suddenly glinted orange, his pupils becoming vertical slits, as opposed to horizontal.

**_Kitten, be careful. _**Warned the Nibi. **_He may look weak, but he_ is _one of us._**

A smile touched his face, as if he had overheard their little conversation.

"Perhaps a demonstration is in order?

Seconds later, rich orange chakra burbled around him, forming a jinchuuriki cloak that vaguely resembled the outline of what looked like...

A Monkey?

"Who are you?" Murmured Yugito, still refusing to believe that this man had snuck up on them so easily.

The man gave a small, curt bow, as two tails of orange swirled behind him, then vanished back into the seal.

"Ah, my apologies. My name is Roushi, and as you can see, I am the vessel of the five tailed demon monkey, Gobi."

He extended his hand in greeting, waiting for Yugito to take it.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

**Next time: Inside the seal! Darkness within!**


	7. Braving the Fire

She opened her eyes, to find herself in a labryinth of tunnels, similair to those of aqueducts.

"So....This is his seal...

It was dark and damp down here, and the floor had puddles everywhere.

A growl could be heard in the far off distance, and a dim light lit the halls.

Only then did she notice the clawed up walls, the plastered stone riddled with burns and scorch marks, and even heavy indentst here and there. Clearly, this was not the first time he had fought with the fox.

Water rippled beneath her feet, as she cautiously made her way through the corridors, well aware that she was out of her element here, and in hostile territory.

She had best watch her step.

After what seemed like an hour of endless twists and turns, followed by many a dead end, she at last came to a dooor, or rather, what looked like a door.

It was a pure white silhouette, rectangular in shape, the light behind it nearly blinding for her to behold, as she tried her best to stare into it, but to no avail.

The way back was suddenly sealed off, leaving her nowhere else to go.

Slowly, she walked through, and into the white.

The steady tap of her sandals echoed upon the soaked floor, as she kept up with the trail.

Immediately, she was bathed in a torrent of images, most of which had a strange woman with blue hair, and Naruto himself in them. Scattered here and there were tattered flickers of recollection, two girls, one she recognized immediately as a Hyuuga, the other, a Haruno perhaps?

She sensed great sorrow and misery from these portals into the past, and wisely avoided them, instead following the pulsing red trail that snaked through the corridors of Naruto's mind.

At last, rounding a corner, it veered off...

And she found it.

The bars of his seal were rusted and bent, the paper sealing upon it peeled off halfways.

No wonder the Kyuubi was tormenting him so!

Slitted green eyes glared out at him, and her voice boomed into the seal.

"Come out here!"

**Very well wench...**

A silent tap-tap against the puddles, as a figure emerged from the bars, sliding his way out with little dificulty.

It was Naruto, but something was wrong.

This one was entirely white, pale even, not a single trace of color to be seen anywhere, with the exception of those _eyes_.

"Where is Naruto." She all but hissed, and in response, the look-alike _laughed, _and it was anything but pleasant.

**Where is he? Where is he?! Oh that is RICH!**

Reddish yellow eyes gleamed out at her, and though he didn't have a weapon in sight, she still knew better than to get near him.

**He and I are one and the same!**

The being put a hand over its face.

**It is because of me-**

Sakura's face was suddenly there, and with a wave of his hand, it was gone.

**And me- **He waved his hand again, and now Hinata was speaking.

**And especially me- **Konan's visage was now speaking to the Yonbi vessel, but it was soon gone as well, as were the faces of Kakashi and Jiraiaya that soon followed, allowing the ghost to speak.

**It is because of ALL of us, that he is**** being influenced by the Kyuubi. He loved each of us, _refused_ to let us go, and as a result, we live on in him.**

Like a horrific slide show, his faces now alternated, as he spoke, giving him an eerie cacophony of voices. **We haunt him, plague him, bring him down, and because he loves, us he lets us.**

By this point, Mina was livid, and she clenched one hand into a fist.

"Then I will shatter his love in you! I will make him move on, so that he will have peace!"

All at once, three tails of the Yonbi's chakra exploded into life around her, her arms crossed into an x.

"Even if I have to kill you myself!"

**Oh really? All by yourself? **

"Not at all." Now it was Yugito who walked out of the darkness, appearing beside her fellow jinchuuriki.

"I told you to keep watch." Hissed Mina through her teeth.

Yugito shrugged her shoulders. "Its taken care of."

She found the malignant energy with little difficulty, and upon homing on hit, she struck at it with all her might!

With their fingertips literally seizing the demon fox by his throat, they squeezed down with enough force to strangle him!

"Begone!"

**Curse you wench! We will be back! **It howled, but that had been the last of its resistance, and it faded back into the bars with a roar.

For now, it needed to buy its time, and plan a way to escape the confines of its host.

--

Naruto's spirit rushed back to her body, and he sucked in a gasp, as feeling returned unto him.

He was suddenly aware of something.

Mina's arms around him, in a loose embrace.

"Naruto, I now what you've been through, but calm _down_." She all but murmurred into his ears, his eyes began to tremble, to water. Roushi now spoke, making himself known."Hatred won't bring them back, no matter how much you pray it will."

With a gasp, his eyes became blue again, just as tears began to well in his eyes.

It was as if he had been somewhere else and he looked about himself, then to Yugito, who was gazing at him cooly.

She tried to make an offhanded joke.

"Okay, I am SO staying on your good side."

Immediately, he looked to his hand, and the fading traces of red chakra there, then to her and back, memories flooding him.

"Oh...

All at once he fell to his hands and knees.

"Damnit! Damnit! What is WITH me?!"

Both women kept quiet as Roushi introduced himself, knowing that the truth would likely break their favorite blond.

His face twisted into a scowl, as he got up, shook hands with his newest ally, then looked the the west.

"Let's be off. We're nearly there now, and we can rest for a bit once we arrive."

"Where are we going again?" Asked Yugito.

He afforded her a rare smile.

"To my Doujo."

--

She let out a sigh, as she lost track of the power she had been trailing, in the rain, it was near impossible to pick up his scent.

She had been hot on the trail of that massive power spike she had felt weeks ago, but the trail had just _died_, right here in the woods.

"Darn it. I think he knows I'm following him."

She heard a harsh laugh, then a sharp ragged, blade ripped out at her from the earth.

Cursing herself for lowering her guard, she jumped back, landing atop a tree branch.

She beheld two men looking up at her.

"That was reckless, Kisame." One said, addressing the one with the sword.

"So what if it was? We had to go after her sooner or later." Replied the shark man easily, as he cast a whitish black eye up to look at their prey,

Bright purple hair, almost an neon color, billowed over her shoulders, and she wore a rather skimpy red outfit, one that exposed nearly all of her flawless alabaster skin.

Red bracelets were worn round her wrists, and further up her long and slender arms, was another set of matching armbands.

Covering her chest was a strapless red leather brassier, one that strained against her ample bosom. Hugging her hips tightly, was a pair of incredibly short red shorts, also made of leather, that ended several inches above her knees, and along with her bra, was the only other article of clothing that covered her forbidden parts, if only barely.

A pair of long red, high heel boots, went past her knees, and another band was worn, this one around her left leg.

This in itself was normal, but it was the long ashen gray tail that emerged from her lower back, and the wolf ears that took the place where normal human ears should have been...

That made her an easy target for her two pursuers.

Blue eyes glared down at her attackers, from the ledge upon which she stood.

One was a blue skinned guy called Kisame, the other a silent man with dark raven hair, and coal black eyes.

"Will you just leave me alone?" She hissed coldly scratching at her wolf ears, where human ears should have been.

"So this is Zakura, the seven tailed wolf." Stated Itachi coldly.

"Finally, took us way to long to find the damned bitch." Chortled Kisame.

A startled gasp, then a snarl escaped her, as she recognized the cloaks they wore.

"Akatsuki!"


	8. Homecoming? Welcome Back Sensei!

Naruto stopped the ragtag group at what looked like a dead end on the cliff.

All that could be seen now was a massive stone wall stretching up the mountain.

Mina remained quiet, as did Roushi, but it was once again Yugito who voiced the obvious question.

"Where the hell are we?"

"Home." Murmurred the blond, as he walked forward, and knocked on the ancient stone.

**"This place is sacred!" **Boomed a voice! **"Begone infidels!"**

Naruto could not help but chuckle.

"Sacred to those who know the true way."

**"Intruder!" **Howled the voice!

The kyuub vessel maintained his composure as a battalion of guards emerge from the very rock itself. Each one wore robes over his face, and was clad in the colors of red and black. **(Shinigami special forces attire)**

They had to be armored underneath all those robes, as

Silently, they encircled the party, then brought their weapons down into the ready position.

He did not say a word, not even when they suddenly found themselves at spear point, hemmed in from all sides by the group of masked warriors.

Slowly, he reached to his face, where the mask still lay.

The spears bristled in response.

Until the mask was removed.

"Drop your weapons." Stated the blond with authority.

Immediately the pikemen complied, getting down to one knee before him, and speaking as one.

"Hai, sensei!"

(Undisclosed location)

The sounds of grunts and blows came from the innermost room, where two combatants tested each others skills.

He took a basic stance, and waved her forward.

"Come."

She did, springing at him in a spin kick!

He caught her leg, and tossed her to the wall, where she bounced off the mat, and got back up in a fighters crouch.

She bounced away from the axe kick that jarred the pads beneath her feet, her crimson hair matting against her forehead, and hanging into her doe brown eyes.

However, from that kick, he pushed _off _the mat, and came in hard and fast.

Air wheezed out of her mouth as he got a clean hit, the resounding kick to her groin doubled her over.

She tried to grab the offending limb-

POOF!

But he vanished into a cloud of smoke, suggesting that it was a shadow clone which had dealt her the bruising blow.

She took a moment to admire his ingenuity, and rolled away soon afterwards...

He didn't give her the time to recover.

Suddenly he sprang from within the smoke!

She saw the attack coming.

Clamoring up, she caught the incoming hand on her heel.

He responded by lashing out with his left leg, and in turn she raised her right elbow to deflect it, grabbing his leg seconds later, holding him fas as her painted nails dug into his skin.

By now, he was partway in the air, and instead of trying to break free, he swung one sandaled foot down in an axe kick.

This she caught as well, holding him by the ankle with the some effort.

Despite herself she grinned.

"Not bad. You're pretty good."

"I'm not done yet." He replied evenly, and it was only then that she realized...

He still had a free hand.

With lightning fast precision, he lunged anew, and was rewarded when his fist impacted solidly upon the soft skin of her stomach.

Just as she headbutted him hard in the face, with enough sheer force to draw blood from his nose.

They both fell away in a heap, rolled, and came to their feet.

Yet when he rose, she wasn't smirking anymore.

No, she was frowning instead, as she took up a stance, and reached for the twin shortswords strapped to her back.

With a metallic rasp, she yanked them free, and now held two golden shortswords.

"No more games!"

The man cracked his neck and took up his own unique stance, a position which involved bringing one hand forward in a fist, whilst the other was held flat in a rigid palm. His legs were spread into a half crouch, thus allowing him freedom of movement should it be demanded.

He two a duo of swords strapped to his back, but he refused to unsheathe them.

Instead he merely nodded and beckoned her forward with one hand, the gloved material on his fingers crinkling as he did so.

"As you wish."

He wore a traditional blue gi beneath his silvery armor, which had a fan sort of device hooked on the shoulders. He too was dripping with sweat, and his silvery grey hair hung even more into his fierce silvery eyes more so than usual.

She herself wore a loose fitting red kimono with a fan on the back. Surprisingly, it did not restrict her movements in the slightest, and aside from it being cut at the sides to expose her lovely long legs, it was a rather plain getup.

But deadly nonetheless, as it often distracted her oponnent from the real danger.

Her blades.

She now shrugged off the outfit, leaving herself clad in her ususal combat outfit, afforded her even more mobility than before.

The kunoichi was quick to strike, her sword sang through the air.

The man seemed to phase out of sight, reappearing several steps away.

Dark eyes narrowed furiously, as he beckoned her forward.

"This time for sure!"

Yet again she struck-

And was again met with the same results, once he faded out of sight again.

Exasperated, she stamped one foot down upon the mats.

"Haseo! No fair using Shunpo!"

The rogue grinned, rolling his shoulders in a shrug as he reappeared on the far side of the room.

"It's not my fault you're so slow, Alkaid."

Her response was cut off when doors banged open, and an out of breath messenger appeared in the doorway

"He's...he's...

Haseo arched an eyebrow. "Get your breath back first."

After a second or so, he did.

"Sensei's back!"

--

The granite wall slid open for the second time, allowing Naruto and his group passage into his sanctuary...

Escorted by the pike men of course.

"Sensei, everyone is anxious to see you again." Stated the captain of the guard, as the twelve or so warriors encircled them again. His rank was signified by the bright blue and gold colors he wore, as opposed to that of his fellows.

But judging by the reverent tone he used, Naruto was clearly the head honcho here.

The master nodded.

"I'm sure they are. I've been away for far too long, and Yata's probably none too pleased with running things in my stead."

Looking over his shoulder, the rogue nin allowed himself a small smile, once he saw everyone's confused looks. Even Mina looked slightly perplexed.

"You founded this place?" Asked the Yonbi vessel, detecting thousands- no _tens of thousands _of chakra signatures beyond this door.

She was given a firm nod.

"Yes I did. After I was made a sannin in Ero-senin's place, and I founded this dojou in his honor."

_'Then why is everyone worshiping you like a god?..._Mused Yugito.

Briefly, Naruto allowed himself to reflect upon his days here.

He had taken any all comers, accepting all students, no matter the potential, in his brief two years as Sensei.

He was pleased to see that everyone was well.

He now waved to the door, which was still shining with light, obscuring what lie within.

"Welcome to Gama no Gakuen. **(School of the Toad Sage)**


	9. Loyalties

**This is a filler chapter, intended to build up for the REAL chapter coming soon!**

Haseo looked up as another sentry came in.

"Master Haseo, Lady Alkaid! Sensei has a mission for both of you!"

Alkaid groaned, but inwardly Haseo beamed with admiration for his teacher.

_'Ah. He wants to see If I'm still loyal..._

"Tell him I accept, and will meet him once I complete it."

_'And I will prove it!"_

A black scroll was tossed to him, and a ruby red one to the grumbling Alkaid.

"You are to leave at once!"

--

(Meanwhile)

She knew better than to stay and fight these two.

Six of her seven tails of chakra whirled about her form.

Her bright deep blue eyes flared a slitted silver as she released her power.

"Stay away from me!" She cried, then threw down a smoke bomb, and all but _bolted _in the opposite direction, casting her senses out for that strange power she had felt earlier...

The one her pursuers had deliberately gone out of their way to _avoid, _when she ran from them last week.

As if sensing her, the energy suddenly exploded into life, and she was overjoyed to find that it was far closer than she had thought.

Very close!

WHAM!

She ran right into him, then bounced backwards as she hit cold steel, falling on her butt from the impact of-

Armor?

He looked down at her.

"Hello."

--

Kisame and Itachi nearly ran right into him, as they came charging around the corner.

He was just standing there, arms hidden in the folds of his long sleeves, an impassable, immovable road block.

"Akatsuki, I cannot let you pass."

Itachi merely stared at him.

"Ah, so you are this _Marcus_."

He cracked his neck.

"_Marcus_? I have never heard of this Marcus."

Silvery hair was revealed as he yanked off his helmet.

"Name's Haseo."

"I will ask you to leave but once." Stated Itachi.

"I could ask you the same," the stranger replied.

"Pfft. Like we'd leave because you asked!" Snorted Kisame.

Hine strained her eyes, but whatver he was wearing, blocked her vision.

"I can't see what he's pulling out...

Everyone looked confused, when from out of the folds of his cloak, the stranger produced a long steel device, that had a handgrip to it, and a barrel.

"What...

"Is...

"That...

Murmurred everyone to themselves.

He seemed to sigh sadly, as he inserted a cartridge into the barrel, then took careful and precise aim.

"This is a gun. It's used to kill people."

The inside of the barrel suddenly glowed red, much like his eyes.

"Farewell."

Hine fell over, clutching her arm, as a bullet suddenly pierced her skin.

Before anyone could move, he fired two more shots, one grazed Itachi's cheek, another cut through Kisame's Samehada, which he had been using to block...

Like swiss cheese.

The end result was that he took the bullet to the chest, falling over in a heap.

The man now pulled out another gun.

"Care for seconds?"

Itachi grabbed Hine and Kisame, teleporting out of the area.

Haseo smirked, and blew steam off the barrels.

He then holstered them, and pulled out a two way radio.

"Sensei, I have her."

Seonds later, chatter came in over the other line.

Sensei's voice.

"Well done Haseo. But you needn't have taken up this task merely to prove yourself. Alkaid has already demonstrated enough _loyalty_ for the both of you." The way loyalty was said was nearly enough to make Haseo blush.

Luckily, he saw the tomboy as more of a sister than an actual-

But still, wasn't that a bit excessive?!


End file.
